Lock mechanism



Get y y J. NUIRY A LocK MEcHANisM y Filed April 18, 1922- 2 sheets-Sheer. i

l .5. -1 vsNmR-f 35 v @37 l? @M M5 Q7 f M ATTORNEY Octo 7 B924.

l ,510,632 J. NUTRY LOCK MECHANI SM Filed April 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ct. 7, 1924.

i y i,5110,63*2v JOHN NUTRY, or'nrncnwoon, NEW JERSEY.

Loon MECHANISM.

Application med apra 1s, 1922. serial No. 555,469.

To all whom it may conce/fn:

Be it known that I, JOHN NU'rRY,.a citizen of the United States, residing at Ridgewood, in the. countyof Bergen and State of Newv Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock Mechanism,

of which the following is a specification'.

This invention relates to a lock mechanism which, altho capable of use in various connections, is nevertheless particularly adapted for use in connection with a novelty container such, for instance, as those indicated in my co-pending: applications, derial Nos. 555,468 and 550,587.

A particular yobj ect of the invention is to provide a lock mechanism.l which consists of parts of simple design and which may-be easily and cheaply manufactured and assembled.

A furtherobje'ct is to so design the loc that portions ofthe casing thereof are eX- tended to `constitute essential partsA of the container structure.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and 'in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations,

arrangements o f parts and 4applications of principles, constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying` drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:- f f Figure 1 is an edgeview of a container constructed in accordance with this invention, being partly in transverse section to illustrate the construction and arrangement of the lock mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the container, partly in section, also for disclosing the construction and arrangement of the lock mechanism.

Fi v taken substantially upon the plane of line III of Fig. l.

Figure 4 is a plan view of thel spring element employed. in the lock mechanism.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a key-receiving disc employed. V f v Figure 6 is a view illustrating the 'form of key employed.

gure 3 is'fa transverse sectional view- Figure 7 is an edge view of the container,

being partly in section substantially the same as in Fig. 3, but illustrating a modified arrangement in accordance with which the lock may be linger controlled.

Figure 8 is a view `similar to that seen in Fig. 7, but illustratingV a modification in which the lock elements are constructed to operate oppositely to corresponding parts of the previous figures.

Figure 9 is a: fragmentary detail view of the structure seen vin Fig. 8 for illustrating particularly the arrangement of the latch members employed, andv Figure l0`is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the `manner .in which the latch members of the lock mechanisms Figs.` l to y7 are adapted to interengage with the latch lugs. Referring to the drawings for ldescribing in detail the structure which is therein illustrated, the reference character Lindicates the body of the container. This is rec-r tangular in shape and a cover is providedr for closing the otherwise open upperside thereof. v v Preferably this container is constructed so that to outward appearance it closely resembles an ordinary book, the cover G constituting one ofthe book covers and the body L constituting lt-he other cover, indicated l, the leaf portion, indicated 2, and the back portion indicated.

The two covers' and the back portion may be finished in leather, fabric, or .other suitable material, and'may be printed or ornamented as `desired as is the practice with ordinary books. The leaf portion may be made from a single strip of sheet brass bent Vinto U shape to provide oppositey leg portions 4 and 5 suitably polished outsideto resemble the end leaf' edges, and the connecting portion 6 of the U being disposed and likewise polished to resemble the front leaf p edgeportion. 1 4

This strip of metal may be formed with marginal flanges, as 7, for stiffening and ornamental purposes, and the ends of the legs 4L and 5 may be connected withk the back .3 ypreferably by means of tangs, as 8,` which comprising a bottom wall 11, a front wall 12 and opposite end walls 13 and 14, the front and end walls being formed as integral flanges bent upwardly from the bottom wall, the end walls being disposed to lie snugly against the inner surface of the legs 4 and 5 and the front wall being disposed to stand spaced away from the inner surface of the wall, or part, G so as to define a lock chamber 15. Preferably the upper edge of the wall 12 is provided with a flange 17 which laps within the adjacent flange '.7 and which is of suitable proportions to definitely space the upper portions of the walls 6 and 12.

The bottom wall. 11 is held rigidly to the cover l preferably by means of tangs 13 which extend upwardly from the cover and thru suitable apertures formed in the wall 11. Preferably also these tangs extend thru mating apertures, as 19, which are formed thru the interposed portions of the flanges 7, and in this way said tangs serve to definitely space the lower portions of the walls 6 and 12.

End edge portions, as 20, of the walls 13 and 14 also engage against the inner surfaces of the flanges 10 and thus the liner, or stiff'ening member is held rigidly in position as a part of the body and cooperates with the wall 6 to define `the compartment 15 within which the lock mechanism is contained.

Any suitable form of hinge structure may be arranged at the locality indicated by the reference numeral 21, by which the cover G is adapted to swing into and out of position closingthe open upper side of the body.

The lock mechanism consists of a pair of slide plates, as 22 and 23, arranged within the compartment 15, both lying flat against the wall 12 and each having one or more latch members 24 thereon projecting thru the wall 12 into the interior of the container, suitable slots, as 25, being provided thru said wall to permit required back andv forth sliding movement of the latch members as shown.

The adjacent ends of these slide plates are suitably cut away so that they are adapted to slide past each other, and the remaining portions are provided with key notches 2o therein into which the key, as 27, may be inserted and against the walls of which the key may operate to simultaneously slide the plates together.

Fitted into the compartment, and lying parallel with and against the plates 22 and 23 is a spring device 2S. rllhis device corn sists of a central, or body, portion 29 and two pairs, as 30 and 31, of spring arms, said pairs extending in opposite directions away from the central portion and being shaped, at their outer ends, to define wedge openings 32 and 33 respectively which are disposed at all times to engage against opposite end edges of lugs, as 34 and 35, of the slide plates.

This spring device is preferably made as a stamping from a single piece of sheet metal and it is formed so that the arms of eaehpair are slightly sprung apart to accommodate the lugs 34 and 35. The wall surfaces formin@` the wedge openings 32 and 33 are disposed so that whenever the plates are slid together asy by the key 27, the lugs will operate to further spread the arnis. As soon las the key pressure is relieved the tendency of the arms to return to normal will wedge the lugs outwardly and return the slide plates to normal or release positions.

The central, or body portion 29 is preferably formed with an opening; 36 within which is rotatably received a. disc` 37, said disc having a key slot 38 therethru thru which the key may entend into engagement with the notches 26 of the slide pla-tes. A similar disc, as 39, may be mounted within a depression 40 of the wall 12, the two discs being substantially.concentric and serving together to properly rotatably support the key. c

rihe cover G is tted with latch lugs 41 having nose portions 42 which are adapted when the cover is closed to engage behind the latch members 24 for holdingthe cover closed. l/Vhen the latch members 24 are moved toward each other, as just described, however, they disengage from the nose portions 42 and thereby leave the cover free to be opened.

Preferably the latch members 24 also have nose portions, as 43, thereon disposed to lap the inner sides of the latch lugs 41 thereby improving the interlocking connection between the parts when the cover is closed.

In the modification F ig. 7 the structure there shown is substantially identical with whathas been already described except that the slide plates 44 thereof carrying the latch members 24 are provided with finger extern sions 45 which project outwardly thru openings, as 46, formed thru the end wall-,portions of the compartment 15, said portions 45 being adapted to be pressed-together, by finger pressure, whenever it is desired torelease the cover G. No key operating feature is required for this structure. Y

ln the modiiicffition liig. 8, the structure is the same as described with reference to igs. 1 to except that in this instance the arms of the spring member 28 have their wedge openings reversed with respect to the showing in the previous figures. The slide plates and 23, in this instance, therefore, are normally urged in a direction towardveach other. The key notches 26 and the latch members 24 of said plates are, therefore, also reversed,

As many changes could be made in this be slid, and a single spring device arranged to engage said plates to urge said plates to normal position, said plates being disposed in a common plane, and said spring device comprising -a single piece of sheet metal resting flat upon said plates collectively and having resilient portions engaging saidV plates.

2. A lock mechanism comprising a pair of plates mounted to yslide with respect to each other, means whereby said plates may be slid, and a spring device arranged to engage said plates to urge said plates to normal position, said spring device consisting of an integral member having parts dening a pair of wedge shaped openings, the portions of said parts constituting the walls of said openings standing in engagement with interposed portions of said plates, and said parts being resilient and disposed to exert a pressure against the interposed portions of said plates to thereby move said interposed portions toward the larger ends of said openings.

3. A lock mechanism comprising a pair of plates mounted to slide with respect to each other, means whereby said plates may be slid, a spring device arranged to engage said plates tourge said plates to normal position, said spring device consisting of a single integral member having parts dening a pair of spring arms, said arms being shaped to provide wedge shaped openings between them, and said slide plates each having a lug projecting into one of said wedge shaped. openings and engaging said arms adapted to spread said arms when said plates are slid thereby generating a power in said spring device 'for returning said plates. 4. A lock mechanism comprising a pair of plates mounted to slide with respect to each other, means whereby said plates are supported to lie in a common plane, means whereby the plates may be slid, a spring device for yieldingly holding said plates in normal position, said spring device comprising a single integral piece of sheet metal disposed in a plane at one side of the plane of said plates and resting Hat against said plates, said spring device being shaped to provide a central portion and a pair of spring extensions projecting therefrom, the end portions of which stand in constant engagement with parts of said plates respectively. v

5. A lock mechanism comprising a pair of plates mounted to slide with respect to each other, means whereby said plates are supported to lie in a common plane, means whereby the plates may be slid, a spring device for yieldingly holding said plates in` normal position, said spring device comprising a -single integral piece of sheet metalv disposed in a plane at one side of the plane of said plates and resting flat against said plates, said spring device being shaped to provide two pairs of spring arms, said arms having wedge shaped openings between them, and lugs formed upon said plates extending into saidi openings arranged to i engage said arms for springing said arms apart and for thereby generating a power in said arms for moving said plates.

6. A lock mechanismcomprising a pair of plates mounted to slide with respect to each other, means whereby said plates are supported to lie in a common plane, means whereby the plates maybe slid, a spring device for yieldingly holding said plates in normal position, said spring device comprising a single integral piece of sheet metall disposed in a planeat one side of the plane of said plates and resting flat against said plates, said spring device being shaped to provide a central portion and two pairs of spring arms projecting therefrom, the central portion having an opening therethru, the portions of said plates beneath said central portion having key notches provided JOHN NUTRY.

Witnesses l Vl ELIZABETH SYGIEL, ALBERT MimoNIoK. 

